Sunday, July 21, 2013

Wal Mart's pimp, Tavis Smiley, was on national television today ripping the president for ----of all things--his comments on race. There are a lot of things we could get on this president about, and some black folks actually do a credible job of calling him out on things, but his WH presser about the Trayvon Martin verdict was not one of them.

Anyway, I love this post over at "The People's View" by Spandan:

"While Prof. Ogletree correctly called out the smug Smiley for pretending that all responsibility to have a conversation and take action on race falls on the president simply because he's black, for the lack of time, he didn't get to respond to the smug Smiley's demand to list what the president had done. I will. Let's start at the beginning - let's start with candidate Obama. Barack Obama's 2008 speech on race and race relations in America is one of the best inspiring speeches that captured America's emotions - in history. His 2008 speech falls in a group of select speeches by presidents in this country: Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, JFK's historic civil rights speech, and President Johnson's address to Congress on voting rights. The contemporary import and significance of Barack Obama's 2008 speech is exceeded perhaps only by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr's I-have-a-dream speech.

But as much as Tavis Smiley would like for the president to speechify until he's blue in the mouth - much like Smiley himself does without making any real difference - President Obama, despite his impressive oratory, is more of a doer than a talker. So let's have a look at the policies that the president has codified or pushed, and what difference they make in the American promise to equal opportunity and equal justice for all.

Health Care Reform: Obamacare isn't just good health care policy, it is a key policy to bridge the health insurance disparity between whites and people of color. 21% of African Americans and 32% of Hispanics have no health insurance, compared to just 13% of whites. Health reform levels the playing field, institutes community rating and guaranteed issue, and ensures affordable coverage, along with the largest subsidies for health insurance in history. Because people of color bear the disproportionate brunt of lack of health insurance, we also stand to gain the most from health care reform.

Wall Street Reform: The president's Wall Street reform not only set up the country's first independent federal agency dedicated to consumer protection, but also imposed restrictions on banks and financial institutions from fooling and issuing liar loans to unsuspecting minorities and pushing subprime loans. Bankers even admit that they did so. Poor people and minorities are targets of rip-off style financial products, and both overall financial reform as well as the CFPB are a godsend. The CFPB is looking into regulating payday lenders I write. Once again, because people of color are disproportionately the target of financial vultures, the president's reform also disproportionately benefits them.

Pell Grants and Student Loan Reform:We continue to hearken back to economic factors limiting the scope of opportunity for minorities - who are disproportionately dependent on student loans and Pell Grants - but that's normal given that it is the economic hurdle that is the most pernicious in trapping minorities. One of the first bills President Obama signed into law protected students from loan sharks. The president's student loan reform was done in two parts: the first part in the student loan reform bill itself - a bill that made it far easier for students to pay off their debt. In the second part, through the reconciliation bill that completed health reform, he cut the banks out of the process of federal loans, investing the banks' cut in students instead.

Credit Card Reform: Credit card reform outlawed a whole host of loan-sharking practices, including the minimum payment scam (now you have the right to know how much interest you will pay and how long you will pay if you just made the minimum payment), universal default for existing loans, deceptive due date practices, and giving credit cards to students without requiring proof of ability to pay (or a co-signer). Once again, because the abuses fall on those who have the toughest time paying - read disproportionately racial minorities - the benefits of the reform also befall the same people.

These broad policy achievements, of course, come in addition to specific, targeted policy achievements of the president, including the Fair Sentencing Act that reduces the drug sentencing disparities between crack cocaine and powdered cocaine, and yes, the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act - both because women of color are the most victimized by pay discrimination and because the Act itself deals with pay discrimination on the basis of any of the categories under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including race. The president nearly single-handedly restored the American auto industry, and thus American manufacturing - also an economic underpinning of many minority communities.

This is to say nothing of the stimulus package that turned the whole economy around from the worst disaster since the Great Depression - a disaster that also disproportionately affected minorities.

The president has advocated for and tried to advance more policies that would address economic conditions - including his Jobs Act (as Professor Ogletree correctly pointed out) - without success as Republicans in Congress have made it their mission to block this president in any way they can.

But hey, why would you expect someone like Tavis Smiley - who economically is closer to the 1% and entirely focused on increasing his personal wealth through "poverty tours" to sell his book - to even recognize ways to address economic racial disparities as achievements or advancing the frontier on race relations? My mistake.

For those who want to focus on what the president says vs. what he does, there is no shortage of the president's public engagement, either. Not only has he stirred the nation's emotions from the death of an unarmed black teenager at the hands of an armed killer who racially profiled him, the president has lead with depth with the Gates controversy in 2009, after a Harvard professor was arrested for entering his house. Michelle Obama identified with Hadiya Pendleton as a southside girl from Chicago. Nearly every speech the president has given either on the campaign trail or on a college campus, addressing our future, his calls for people of all races and backgrounds to come together have given us hope. The president is, however, the president - and his role is not to lead a race, but to lead a nation.

What the likes of Smiley don't understand when they accuse this president of taking a backseat on conversations of race is that this president has had to suffer through something no other president in history has because of his race: the palpable institutional and media racial bias. He has had to contend with claims from the likes of Glenn Beck that he hates white people, and he has had to put up with claims from the likes of Tavis Smiley that he's not militant enough"...[More]

Finally, as I posted earlier on twitter, to see why I will never be caught dead under the right wing tent (wait, I take that back; you could find me dead under there), please read here.

Have a wonderful Sunday evening, folks. And if you went to church today I hope that you prayed for peace.

"Let's start at the beginning - let's start with candidate Obama. Barack Obama's 2008 speech on race and race relations in America is one of the best inspiring speeches that captured America's emotions - in history."

Unfortunately, nothing much came of this "inspirational" speech. Blacks are far worse off today than any other time in American history. Obama gives good speeches but lacks follow through and leadership.

Tavis is correct: Obama needs to "lead". And that means "to take action", which everyone knows he will not.

Field, your criticism of Tavis is deja vu, going back to 2009. You called him a pimp 'then' for McDonald's and other corporations. Now you are calling him a pimp for Wal-Mart. That doesn't tell much about Tavis but you calling him a pimp says a whole lot about you.

You want to see pimps for corporations? Take a look at the President and Congress. They are owned and operated by lobbyists. Ever wonder 'why' the President didn't take action against the banks? I didn't hear you call him a pimp. Instead, you 'justified' his behavior because he is a politician.

You can't tell me shit about Tavis until you own to the shit Obama has done that has negatively impacted the black community greatly. We are suffering greatly: jobs, killings, poverty, healthcare...it's "obscene" that a President has remained mute on these things. It's an insult to a race of people who supported him greatly at the polls--more than any other group.

Field, you need to STFU about Tavis and talk about what's wrong with Obama...something everyone on FN have been waiting to hear about. Thus far, YOU haven't said shit.

"What the likes of Smiley don't understand when they accuse this president of taking a backseat on conversations of race is that this president has had to suffer through something no other president in history has because of his race: the palpable institutional and media racial bias.

You are a fool or a liar or both.

This is perhaps the most ridiculous statement ever made on this blog, and that is saying something.

There has never, in the entire history of this country, ever been a politician so completely coddled and protected by a lapdog media that is completely invested in his success.

Never has a man of so little accomplishment received such a mountain of praise. Never have such failures and missteps been so ardently spun into feats of greatness.

Every clichéd and nonsensical speech he makes is lauded as a Lincolnesque masterpiece of profundity.

Never does the White House press corps even dare to ask a question whose answer might reflect poorly on the President, Never have any of the esteemed lamestream "journalists" ever gone beyond accepting at face value everything the administration feeds them.

How could anyone of sound mind even attempt to make the argument that this Nothing of a President has suffered some kind of negative bias because of his race, when the exact opposite is true?

The Right Wing has done their best to pivot the conversation about The Trayvon Martin case to the ills of Black America. The problems that keep a minority in the American American community down is multi layered. On CNN Newt Gingrich and Crystal Wright tried to call out Rep Bobby Rush on the violence in Chicago. Rush didn't present himself well because all he had to say was The President presented plans to put more police on the street and the GOP voted against it while we have a 340+ million dollar base in afghanistan. That would have shut them up. Democrats need to practice the art of throwing stuff back in the wingnuts faces. They just take the wingnuts attacks and respond with talking points. They need to hit them with facts.

'It’s the morning-after in Black America, a scene of economic and political ruin bathed in the searing daylight of Obama’s second term and umpteenth betrayal."

It's important to wake up:

"It was a narcotic effect so potent in Obama’s first term, African Americans imagined themselves to be better off than five and ten years before – 'when the truth was exactly the opposite.' Black imaginations took flight amid the desolation. Studies by the Pew Research Center – substantially confirmed by other reputable pollsters over the course of Obama’s first term – showed that Blacks were the most optimistic constituency in the country regarding their personal and family prospects and those of African Americans as a group. Moreover, they believed that their condition was improved under the Obama presidency – coterminous with the debacle – when in fact Blacks had been hardest hit of all major U.S. populations. Meanwhile, every other ethnic constituency correctly understood that their economic situation had deteriorated." -- The Black Agenda Report

Chris T. Matthews said, "There has never, in the entire history of this country, ever been a politician so completely coddled and protected by a lapdog media that is completely invested in his success.

Never has a man of so little accomplishment received such a mountain of praise. Never have such failures and missteps been so ardently spun into feats of greatness.

Every clichéd and nonsensical speech he makes is lauded as a Lincolnesque masterpiece of profundity."

Absolutely...Beautifully said, truthful and to the point. Thank you.

When Obama is out of office, if not before, America (particularly Black America)-will echo your comment loud and clear.

Obama has been a disaster for America, but most of ALL for the black community. He has ruined this community for decades to come.

May we NEVER have another spineless inept inexperienced President, Black or White, ever again.

But don't expect brother Field to admit this. He is too shame-based to admit such. And the longer Obama remains in office, the more profound Field's shame becomes. Field has attached himself to a clear loser. Hence, Field's shame is in direct proportion to Obama's job. That's pretty deep. But don't worry, the pain from shame will be so great he will have to 'let go' of Obama. However, Field clearly has a high threshold for pain. lol..But so does the black community in general.

No one in a position of authority cares if a cheap hoodlum came to a just end by trying to kill someone who turned out to be able to defend himself. The welfare state produces Trayvon Martins by the millions. The Passion of Saint Skittles, like every other farce staged by the government/media axis, is a power play intended to move us one step closer to the nightmare world of unrestricted government force that made life hell for millions suffering under leftist regimes like the Soviet Union.

Governments govern through a system of laws, yet that very system, if its integrity is maintained, protects us from the government. This is why tyrants prefer mob rule, with themselves serving as the voice of the mob.

I also wonder what happened to Geraldo? I guess that Fox money got to him.

Tavis has really ruined his rep in the Black community. For me it was him helping Well Fargo sell those bad mortgage loans to Black folks. I'm no fan of a lot the President has done but I can't get with Tavis.

Val, "Tavis has really ruined his rep in the Black community. For me it was him helping Well Fargo sell those bad mortgage loans to Black folks. I'm no fan of a lot the President has done but I can't get with Tavis."

You don't have to 'get with Tavis'. But don't come off as if Tavis has screwed up the black community while ignoring what the President has done to us. Tavis might have, in your opinion, ruined his reputation in the black community.

However, Obama has literally ruined the black community. The Wells Fargo debacle was a mistake but you can't blame Tavis for that. WHY haven't you blamed Wall Street and the US government for it? You sound like Tavis knew Wells Fargo, and the rest of the banks were ripping off the black community only. That is pure bullshit and you know it.

Face it. You don't like Tavis because he has been critical of Obama. Hence, you will dump whatever you can on him, much like other Blacks have.

Go ahead. But don't you forget how Obama has crapped and pissed all over us...a LOT MORE than Tavis could ever do! Our community is in ruins, for decades to come. Obama hasn't lifted a finger. In fact, he has ignored a race of people who, in lock-step, voted for him! What an insult!

Obama's speech re: Trayvon Martin, NOTHING will come of it, much like his first speech--NOTHING! Obama is a ZERO! NOTTA!

Suffering of our people is at an all-time high with NO RELIEF IN SIGHT... How I long for a JFK and/or LBJ. They didn't just give nice speeches and disappear... they took big, bold, and courageous ACTION. Obama is a spineless lying do-nothing twerp, who didn't deserve the votes of the black community or Whites, for that matter. I am not interested in a President who says one thing but does another as if he had said NOTHING.

So Val, you may not like Tavis, but I can't STAND Obama. He is a man who has betrayed an entire race which happens to be like him. What kind of a character would do that? I'll leave that for you to answer, but the answer is obvious.

"But as much as Tavis Smiley would like for the president to speechify until he's blue in the mouth - much like Smiley himself does without making any real difference - President Obama, despite his impressive oratory, is more of a doer than a talker."

More of a doer? Yeah right. His 'doings' have left Blacks further behind the rest of America for years to come. For you to have the arrogance to state a bald face lie is a joke...truly "Black on Black Slime." lol

therein lies the problem in my opinion. folks are longing for mere men that only give the appearance of giving a dang. neither JFK nor LBJ gave a big whoop about Black folks in Truth. the record more than reflects this fact.

when folks have had enough...for real...they will fall on their knees and cry out for Yah Almighty to heal, help, save and show them favor and His Way. until then...the beat goes on. mere men can NOT fix what we see around us.

2 Chronicles 7:14-16: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall open, and mine ears attent unto prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and my eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

until Black folks connect with the Truth that we are those people...we will continue to run in circles. folks seem sadly willing to believe any and everyone but Him.

Anon, you already know the Truth re: the dragon beast government and Black folks. 3/5 human. that is pretty straightforward.

if the truth is kicking one's behind...that simply means one needs to make some adjustments. Truth kicks us all squarely in the seat of our pants at some point. how we take the love tap, is entirely up to us.

it is a blessing for the Truth to reach out and touch you. that means the Truth is in you. there are some folks that seem oblivious to Truth, Wisdom, Understanding and all the other fruits of the spirit. they seem deathly allergic to the Truth, so count it all joy my friend.

"when folks have had enough...for real...they will fall on their knees and cry out for Yah Almighty to heal, help, save and show them favor and His Way. until then...the beat goes on. mere men can NOT fix what we see around us."

sounds like GOD gets some folks by default--ie when the pain has become too great to bear, and there is no one or nothing else left but GOD. HE gets some of us by 'default'. lol

Most of this is crap. I give credit where credit is due. Making it harder to outright lie to people is a good thing. It's kinda like the payday loan commercials now. Now they have to tell you they're charging you 100% APR in a paragraph of legal copy that flashes across the screen for second. And perhaps charging you 200-300% APR is now illegal in most places. That's progress, I suppose. So I give him some credit for marginally addressing some of the most extreme predatory practices. But there are systemic problems here (racism being just one of them) that he will not address through meaningful action. I could care less about a speech. I want to see policy prescriptions and I want to see you put your full weight behind them. The health care bill is a slow moving train wreck. And they know it! That's why they're pushing back key provisions until after midterm elections. He said we would see our premiums go down. I suppose his definition for down is the same as my definition for up. Or maybe he meant our premiums might go down a little after they go up a lot....kinda like gas prices. Wall Street reform? Seriously? Spandan should rename himself Spandex with all this stretching he's doing. I don't even have the energy to go on. It's time to face facts. Obama is not interested in protecting the people in general. He's interested in protecting black people least of all. When he said he wouldn't let Detroit go bankrupt, he was talking about the corporations, not the citizens. It's time to stop pretending that the people are part of the plan.

I think the problem Tavis had with Obama goes way back to when he was first campaigning for president. Tavis had invited him to the annual State of the Black Union TV program. Obama sent a note that he would not be attending, as he was too busy campaigning. He had attended the previous program. When Tavis announced Obama's non-attendance in a non-positive manner. The next day Tavis AND this mother received death threats from Obama supporters. That might have been a bit of a turn-off.

As i told Joe Madison this morn it is not Pres job to agitate it is the responsibility of this generation and my gen to continue to show them how to agitate UNTIL they can do it on their ownBarak has set that tone NOW its boots on the ground

The Pres job is to lead this country it is the injured partys jog to stimulate arouse and struggle for transition and vicissitude,

I love that he spoke up however that is also his right to do so Now the tone has been set!!Rather than simply listen to all of the Sunday talk show hosts point fingers its time to Boots on the ground = Mouth shutRegardless of whether its a bldg bomber, school bomber, movie bomber, church bomber or an Afrikan wanna be thug who has lost his mind DO SOMETHING

Obama is the wrong person to lead discussion about raceBy Eugene Robinson,July 18, 2013We should talk honestly about unresolved racial issues, such as those exposed by the Trayvon Martin case, but President Obama is not the best person to lead the discussion. Through no fault of his own, he might be the worst.

The need for what diplomats call a “full and frank exchange of views” is obvious. Many Americans don’t even agree that there are unresolved racial issues, much less that such issues played a role in George Zimmerman’s acquittal. It’s as if some of us live on different planets.

I find it impossible to imagine the outcome would have been the same if the protagonists’ roles were reversed — if Zimmerman had been the victim and Martin the defendant. I know, however, that many people believe the hoodie-wearing African American teenager would have been accorded the same benefit of the doubt his killer was given. I also know that one’s beliefs about race and racism tend to be highly correlated with one’s experience of race and racism.

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What we’re doing now, in an awkward and uncomfortable way, is talking about those beliefs and experiences — shouting about them, actually. For better or for worse, this seems to be the way we conduct the “national conversation about race” that thoughtful people are always recommending.

Here’s how it works: Something happens that makes the subject of race all but unavoidable. We stake out our positions. We get all worked up. We start to get frustrated. Gradually we lose focus, and the dialogue, such as it was, peters out. No one thinks we’ve made any headway. Often we have, though the progress may not be evident for some time.

Maybe it would be better if we all gathered at public libraries on some appointed day and worked our way through an agenda: “Legacy of Slavery,” check. “Jim Crow Segregation,” check. “Affirmative Action,” check.

Sounds awfully boring to me, to tell the truth. And in any event, it’s never going to happen. For people who want to talk about race, there are plenty of outlets, venues and forums — more than ever, in fact, with the rise of social media. But those who prefer to avoid the subject are not likely to be enticed by earnestness.

Nor do they respond well, evidence suggests, to the observations and oratory of the first African American president when he talks about race. It’s not the way things ought to be or the way I’d like them to be, but it’s the way things are.

Etu Field Negro? You jumping on the bash Tavis Smiley for speaking is mind too? Like it or not, PBO was pushed into making his remarks last Friday. First by Sybrina Fulton on CNN when she said she wanted the PBO to go over the case with a fine tooth comb then after being prodded by some supporters. Read all about it here.http://www.theroot.com/blogs/journalisms/obama-talk-verdict-followed-black-prodding

PS Some of you are beginning to sound like House Negroes telling the Field Negroes to be quiet because Massa is good to them.:)

Barack Obama surely understands this phenomenon. He has made a career out of speaking to white people while pretending to speak to black people. He would never have become president had he not mastered this skill. During his 2008 campaign he never passed up an opportunity to assure white people that their natural order was safe. He ranted that black men were terrible fathers, claimed that the country is “90% of the way” toward equality, called Jeremiah Wright an old crank who should shut up about racism, and so on.

In the wake of the raw anger and grief that black people felt about the Zimmerman verdict, the president was true to form. He spoke right over the heads of black people directly to white people, once again engaging in “dog whistle [10]” politics. Just as there are sounds which can be heard only by the canine ear, there is language which can be heard only by specific constituencies though they may appear to be created for others. While black people waited anxiously to hear a statement from him, his words [11] regarding the verdict were tailor made for white America:

His seemingly nonsensical statement made perfect sense to its intended audience. “A jury has spoken.” In other words, shut up, get over it and don’t complain. To say that Martin’s death was a tragedy not just for his or for any one community is an outright lie. His death is a tragedy and a trauma more for black people than for any other group. Not only was his death not tragic to millions of Americans, but some were quite happy that Martin was killed and were happy when his murderer went free. “Tide of gun violence” meant only one thing. The president was in agreement with the white people who minimized Trayvon’s death by constantly bringing up violence within the black community. The “black on black violence” trope was intended to silence the outrage directed at Zimmerman’s slave patroller style murder.

Many people asked themselves why Obama said anything at all given that the Department of Justice announced it would investigate whether to file federal charges in the case. Those people miss the point entirely. He felt it important to speak to his people in the language they understand. The dog whistle range was clearly understood by the people he wanted to hear it.

In 2012 when the story of Martin’s death first became widely known Obama was caught off guard and had to throw black people a bone. He was forced to point out that if he had a son “he would look like Trayvon.” That was the last time he would publicly make a connection between himself and Trayvon Martin. All the more reason to blow the dog whistle at the opportune moment.

We don’t honor Trayvon Martin by shutting up and pretending that there is some mystery involved in preventing future hate crime murders. We honor him and ourselves by demanding justice. A few prominent cases of Zimmerman style vigilantes going to jail will prevent more killing. Obama and attorney general Eric Holder shouldn’t be let off the hook because they investigate this case. They must investigate all of them and use their power to end the “stand your ground” laws which are a license for racist murder. If we demand anything less, we are just helping to blow the dog whistle.

Some of you negroes wouldn't be happy if President Obama was personally delivering new Cadillacs with trunks full of KFC every month to every black household in America. The President is not there to take care of black people, or anyone.

The President's job is to manage the execution of the laws passed by congress in a manner consistent with the Constitution.

‘I Killed Trayvon Martin’ [ESSAY]White Racist Confesses: ‘I Killed Trayvon Martin’ [ESSAY]http://newsone.com/2638625/george-zimmerman-eddie-hatcher/Eddie in a hoodieTo show solidarity in the wake of George Zimmerman‘s acquittal, some White Americans have insisted, “I am not Trayvon Martin.”The burgeoning campaign is also, to some extent, to assuage White guilt. By acknowledging their privilege, they’re saying they are willing to relinquish it — or at the very least, diminish it.But it’s not that simple. This country was made for them; these laws were created to protect them; this society was crafted to exalt them. And a simple hat tip to that fact — though admirable — is not going to change the racial narrative in this country in any meaningful cultural, economic, judicial or political way.But what if a racist White man admitted that it’s a struggle to mask the symptoms of his disease, and that he’s not Trayvon Martin because he “killed” him?Now we’re listening.In an essay posted on Overbear.Wordpress.com, Eddie Hatcher writes that he believes Zimmerman was fearful of Trayvon because he is also fearful of Black manhood. Acknowledging that the fear — cultivated in “hunt clubs, on farms, in country stores, and in gun shops” in a small North Carolina town — was instilled in him as a child, he describes it as “unreasonable,” but very real:In our minds, we were not discriminating against anyone because of their skin color; we were simply describing the way people acted, their mannerisms, language, dress, etc. Nothing about that seemed racist. Sure, the N word was thrown around occasionally, but black people use that word to describe themselves, so we thought it was OK.Looking back, I think the worst part may have been the “justified” fear. While the words of wisdom demanded that I not talk to strangers, a part of growing up was learning which strangers were safe and which were dangerous. Of all the strangers out there, none were more important to avoid than black men. If you see a black man, check for your exits. Make sure your friends and siblings are close, as they might not have noticed the black man yet. Whatever you do, don’t talk to them. The more of a “homie” they appear to be, the more dangerous they are.…Of all the speculation of what happened the day that Trayvon Martin was shot dead, one detail of the killer’s story that I do not question is his claim that he was afraid. No doubt he has learned, like me, to be afraid of black men. Florida law says that Zimmerman had a right to stand his ground and defend himself if a “reasonable person” would fear for their life in that situation. No reasonable grown man with a gun would be afraid of a skinny minor, but a racist person like myself would.But unlike Zimmerman, I take ownership of my fear, my racism. I’m not going to shoot someone because their skin color makes me afraid. I’m going to do the opposite. When I see the “black man in a dark alley” and that childhood fear pops out, I push it down to replace it with a smile and a nod. When people cultivate that fear, innocent children die.…Seeing Trayvon Martin’s murderer go free leaves me feeling hopeless, as though no amount of effort as an adult can undo the damage I did as a child.

’m like an alcoholic trying to change my life. I’ve walked through the door, but there are 11 more steps and I have no idea what any of them are.I killed Trayvon Martin.Read entire essay by clicking here.Full disclosure: I am not a fan of cosmetic white guilt, particularly in the context of racial tragedies birthed through hatred such as the murder of Trayvon Martin, especially when acknowledging that guilt — and easily perforated concern — lends power and credence to their words while Black pain continues to be ignored.It does nothing for White Americans to acknowledge entrenched racism and White supremacy if they do nothing but sing a verse of Kumbaya, then quietly return to existing comfortably as heirs to a stolen nation built with the blood of Native Americans and on the backs of enslaved Africans –albeit with a twinge of guilt.If there is an exchange that best illustrates my feelings on the matter, it is the following scene from Spike Lee’s classic film, Malcolm X:

“Excuse me, Mr. X,” said the blonde co-ed as Malcolm approached. “I’ve read some of your speeches and I honestly believe that a lot of what you have to say is true. I’m a good person in spite of what my ancestors did. And I wanted to ask you, what can a white person like myself, who isn’t prejudiced, what can I do to help you and further the cause?”Without hesitation, Malcolm answered, “Nothing.”

i bet they are all hobama fansignoring and abusing blacks just like their beloved blackish prez hobama

George Zimmerman was acquitted because the jury empathized with him as a fellow human being, and felt no such connection with Trayvon Martin and his tribe. White privilege – including the privilege to kill Black people – “is accepted and it continues like mass psychosis.” The verdict “tells us that we remain defeated, an oppressed people surrounded by but dependent upon enemies.”

“Some were quite happy that Martin was killed and were happy when his murderer went free.”

There is much to be said about the verdict which found George Zimmerman not guilty in the killing of Trayvon Martin but one thing is clear. Racism is so deeply embedded in the white American consciousness that significant numbers of white people coalesced in support of Zimmerman without having to openly say so.

The infamous juror known as B37 [9] made that clear in an interview with CNN. She said that the case wasn’t about race and that the jurors never discussed it. While her initial attempt to profit from her experience by shopping a book deal makes this woman disreputable, she is probably telling the truth. They didn’t have to say out loud that they weren’t going to make Zimmerman pay for his crime. They were on the same wave length all along.

Zimmerman never testified but B37 was sure that he feared for his life and she knew his thoughts and she even called him Georgie. Clearly the prosecution’s efforts meant little for this woman and her fellow jurors who were determined to let Georgie go.

There is an understanding, like the instinct that tells birds where and when to migrate, which tells white people that they ought to rule black people. They profit from white supremacy quite literally and it is part of their natural order. It is accepted and it continues like mass psychosis. It isn’t questioned and keeps black people locked up in jail, and unemployed, and every year it kills more than 300 black people at the hands of cops, security guards and Zimmerman-like vigilantes.

“They didn’t have to say out loud that they weren’t going to make Zimmerman pay for his crime.”

Still making it plain for those who cannot OVERI killed Trayvon amd walked away

Now whatcha gonna do?

There have been some Black Americans who have given powerful testimonies proclaiming, “I am Trayvon Martin.” And what they are saying is this skin, this body, in this country makes them disposable targets the minute they step outside of the door. They fear for their sons, brothers, fathers, lovers, uncles and friends.These are the narratives that we need to hear, right?There was a 17-year-old child named Trayvon Martin who was shot through the heart and left to bleed out on wet grass while his killer held him down and watched — and he walked out of that courtroom room a free man.So while I sincerely applaud Mr. Thatcher’s bravery, discussions on alleviating white guilt are just going to have to wait.

4 Lawmakers who are so afraid that they will focus on anyone they do not over

5 A community which still continues to believe that cave people still accept them

hannel 9′s Kathi Belich confirmed the jurors were left unsupervised with guests at times, which WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said is more than enough time for a member to have said something that could have influenced a juror and possibly impacted the verdict.The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office said Judge Debra Nelson allowed jurors generally no more than two hours of alone time with visitors once a week.Nelson didn’t decide until three days into the trial to sequester the jury after potential jurors voiced concerns about their privacy and safety.Channel 9 obtained the agreement the judge had all of the jurors’ visitors sign in which they agreed “the case or anything even remotely related to the case must not be talked about.

You just lost all credibility and have moved to the upper-room: INSIDE the HOUSE, off the kitchen. You have taken WH talking points and tried to pass them off as commentary-shameful. 'House-Negro,' you've become.

And the bullshit alarm rang *early* in your "points." If you can sight ANY commentary of Smiley's where he asserts "all responsibility to have a conversation and take action on race falls on the president simply because he's black." Any 6th grader can be trained to beware of 'all' and 'simply because': you have completely created a Straw Man and *attempted* to defeat the "man" with info any moron could obtain from the WH or DNC website. You can't be serious.

Smiley has be *clear* that the President has not LED on any of these issues and waited A WEEK before, to QUOTE SMILEY(a practice you are obviously afraid of), "pushed to the podium." The president's press conference wasn't FOR Trayvonn Martin, his comments were a part of the the presser.

But more importantly, Smiley, and many REAL Blacks have wondered why it is the president can appoint Kagan, set policy for gay rights, set policy for immigrants, yet can barely say the words "poor" or "black," unless he's going to Morehouse or NAACP to chastise niggaz.

WALL STREET REFORM: You must be smoking a brand new type of crack to suggest that somehow Wall Street has been reformed. (Did the kiss you after you wrote this sh!t or did they just leave the money or your nightstand?)

STUDENT LOAN *INTEREST* RATES just *doubled* last week. WTF are you drinking?

HEALTHCARE REFORM: gave millions of new customers to record-profit-making corporations WITHOUT fixing the FRAUD AND OVERCHARGES AND DENIED BENEFITS which are the *actual* problem. So, 'bridging the gap' by giving a bunch of crooks new customers, so those crooks can OVERCHARGE the goverment AND DENY ITS CUSTOMER BENEFITS.

“Excuse me, Mr. X,” said the blonde co-ed as Malcolm approached. “I’ve read some of your speeches and I honestly believe that a lot of what you have to say is true. I’m a good person in spite of what my ancestors did. And I wanted to ask you, what can a white person like myself, who isn’t prejudiced, what can I do to help you and further the cause?”Without hesitation, Malcolm answered, “Nothing.”

That advice sure hasn't stopped black people from begging from whites, has it?

Malcolm was right. No one ever values your interests like you do. Stop the cycle of dependency and resentment. Stand on your own feet like free people do. Have some self-respect and get your ass in the game.

Redeye--- Etu Field Negro? You jumping on the bash Tavis Smiley for speaking is mind too? Like it or not, PBO was pushed into making his remarks last Friday. First by Sybrina Fulton on CNN when she said she wanted the PBO to go over the case with a fine tooth comb then after being prodded by some supporters. Read all about it here.

*PS Some of you are beginning to sound like House Negroes telling the Field Negroes to be quiet because Massa is good to them.:)

9:47 AM=============Are you surprised Field is trashing Tavis? He has always been an Obamaholic, even though Obama has insulted ignored, and treated us as if we didn't exist. He did it his first term and even worse now.

Sooner or later, FN folks will have to admit that-- FIELD IS NO FIELD NEGRO....BUT TAVIS IS THE REAL FN!

You see, even though people throw stones and trash at Tavis, he stays 'true' to his commitment since Obama became President.

Can anyone say the same about Obama? Let me answer that for you: HELL NO.

I love Tavis for his courage, endurance and commitment to fighting for AAs despite adversity from his own people.

I have renewed respect for Tavis and I owe it all to Field's post. Had he not try to 'degrade' Tavis while trying to 'upgrade' Obama with a pack of lies(as though I were just another stupid Negro), I might not have thought about how committed Tavis really is to the black cause. I mean, he took a lot of shit from at least 80% of the black community for years. That takes a 'strong-enduring-committed person who lives, breathes and works 'sincerely' believes in what he is doing. Despite the 'adverse' winds from the community, he pushed on.

IMO, Tavis is to be honored, not dishonored. Field, Desert and Whitey, you folks throw a lot of stinkin' thinkin' crap at an upright fighter for us. You STEPHEN house negroes ought be throwing that shit at Obama.

"(CHARLES BARKLEY) THOSE OF US IN PHILLY KNEW THAT THIS NEGRO WAS A HN ALL ALONG."

Some of us Negroes just hate being Black and will say and do anything against being Black and more importantly, against the entire black race. In so doing, they become exceptional black men in the eyes of Whites....If you are Black, YOU know how the game is played. Some of us have tried it, but failed because our hearts wouldn't let us or we just never felt 'accepted' by Whites as White.

It's very hard to be accepted as White even though you are saying and doing all of the right White things. Somehow, something happens and you get called the N-word, or worse, you get shot for being in the wrong white neighborhood, which happened to be your neighborhood too.

Barack says we need to have a conversation about race in America .. Fair enough. But this time, it has to be a two-way conversation. White America needs to be heard from, not just lectured to. This time, the Silent Majority needs to have its convictions, grievances and demands heard. And among them are these:

First, America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was here that 600,000 black people, brought from Africa in slave ships, grew into a community of 40 million, were introduced to Christian salvation, and reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever known. Jeremiah Wright ought to go down on his knees and thank God he is an American.Second, no people anywhere has done more to lift up blacks than white Americans. Untold trillions have been spent since the '60s on welfare, food stamps, rent supplements, Section 8 housing, Pell grants, student loans, legal services, Medicaid, Earned Income Tax Credits and poverty programs designed to bring the African-American community into the mainstream. Governments, businesses and colleges have engaged in discrimination against white folks -- with affirmative action, contract set-asides and quotas -- to advance black applicants over white applicants. Churches, foundations, civic groups, schools and individuals all over America have donated their time and money to support soup kitchens, adult education, day care, retirement and nursing homes for blacks. We hear the grievances. Where is the gratitude??

Barack talks about new 'ladders of opportunity' for blacks. Let him go to Altoona And Johnstown, and ask the white kids in Catholic schools how many were visited lately by Ivy League recruiters handing out scholarships for 'deserving' white kids... Is white America really responsible for the fact that the crime and incarceration rates for African-Americans are seven times those of white America? Is it really white America's fault that illegitimacy in the African-American community has hit 70 percent and the black dropout rate from high schools in some cities has reached 50 percent?Is that the fault of white America or, first and foremost, a failure of the black community itself?As for racism, its ugliest manifestation is in interracial crime, and especially interracial crimes of violence. Is Barack Obama aware that while white criminals choose black victims 3 percent of the time, black criminals choose white victims 45 percent of the time?

Is Barack aware that black-on-white rapes are 100 times more common than the reverse, that black-on-white robberies were 139 times as common in the first three years of this decade as the reverse?We have all heard ad nauseam from the Rev. Al about Tawana Brawley, the Duke rape case and Jena . And all turned out to be hoaxes. But about the epidemic of black assaults on whites that are real, we hear nothing.

Sorry, Barack, some of us have heard it all before, about 40 years and 40 trillion tax dollars ago. This needs to be passed around because, this is a message everyone needs to hear!!! OK...........will you pass it on ? YES. I did but will you? Because I'm for a better America I amNot racist,Not violent,Just not silent anymore.

I guess a "House Negro" is someone who is successful, law-abiding, hard-working, in control of his emotions, honest about his limitations, moral, respectful of others, and able to live in the present and plan for the future.

Tavis Smiley should hold a press conference and announced to the world -- or the three people who actually care -- that he is joining the Republican party.

My reason

Tavis embodies the spirit and personification of the GOP symbol: The elephant -- the animal that never forgets. Under the banner of the GOP, Tavis can continue his unrelenting personal, silly and petty vendetta against President Obama. read more http://harveysglobalpolitics.blogspot.com/2013/07/tavis-smiley-is-weak-as-kool-aid.html

Escalating Wars of Aggression: Whoever thought it couldn't get worse than Bush in regards to wars of aggression -- especially by a Nobel Peace Prize recipient -- have been proven dead wrong. Obama has now unilaterally attacked more countries than Bush, notably bombing inside Pakistan, Yemen and now Libya without Congressional approval. Obama is worse than war-mongering Neocons because he moved the war bar from requiring a real or manufactured threat to justify American military intervention, to vague humanitarian justifications. In other words, if a secular dictator is stamping out a handful of jihadists that threaten his regime, we will now bomb the dictator and support the jihadists when it serves corporate interests. By all counts Obama is serving the same military/oil masters no matter what labels or excuses are given. It is truly a hideous display to watch progressives support Obama's wars as if they're more righteous than Bush's.

Torture and Sport Killing: Bush accepted some blame for the Abu Ghraib torture debacle. Rightly so, as it was his Administration that set forth more enhanced interrogation permissions down the chain of command that ultimately resulted in such disgusting behavior. Obama used the notion of closing Guantanamo prison to score political points and to appear as "anti-torture." Not only does Guantanamo remain open two years into his presidency, the detainees have less rights than they did under Bush. Additionally, Obama has allowed the torture of American soldier Bradley Manning simply for being a suspected whistleblower. If he allows this type of treatment to an American citizen, we can only imagine the tactics that are still being used against enemy detainees. If it's fair to blame Bush for Abu Ghraib, then it seems fair to blame Obama for allowing an environment where the U.S. military is engaged in sport killing of innocent civilians -- which also seems to negate his calls for humanitarian purity in other nations.

The last refuge of Obamaphiles is that no matter how many times the First Black President double-crosses us by cutting Medicare and Medicaid, no matter how completely be betrays his voters us by ignoring black unemployment, by deporting one million Latinos, by protecting the banksters responsible for the foreclosure crisis and by invading, bombing, occupying and subverting even more countries than the Cheney-Bush regime, his white supremacist tea party opponents are far worse. But what if Democrat Barack and the Republican tea partyers are just playing different positions on the same team?

But does that choice apply in 2012? Probably not. Having the same class of shot-calling big money contributors means that Republicans and Democrats alike tend to enact the same policies, justifying them with different sorts of rhetoric. While we're looking for lesser and greater evils, the real choice is between the less effective and the more effective evil.

When Republicans invade new countries, global public opinion can put millions worldwide in protest demonstrations in the street. When Democrats invade, there are no demonstrations. When Republicans propose social security, Medicare and Medicaid cuts, and try to regulate unions out of existence, public outcries and near general-strike situations loom. When Democrats do the same, all is quiet. Republicans could not even pass their own bailout bills with a Republican in the White House. So between bigoted, bumbling tea party Republicans, and level-headed, competent corporate Democrats, which is the greater evil? And which is the more effective evil?

Zimmerman was one of two men who came to the aid of a family of four -- two parents and two children -- trapped inside a blue Ford Explorer SUV that had rolled over after traveling off the highway in Sanford, Fla. at approximately 5:45 p.m. Thursday, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. ...

By the time police arrived, two people - including Zimmerman - had already helped the family get out of the overturned car, the sheriff's office said. No one was reported to be injured.

I guess this proves it: George Zimmerman IS a hero. You can feel free to apologize now.

who has EVER been more repub than that racist repub bankster hobama/hitler 2.0???

cc ndaa/africom/wwiii/bragamus/mabus etc

Where previous Democratic administrations have treated Black communities with benign neglect, Obama’s policy is best described as depraved indifference.

Having collaborated in two recent major budget agreements with the Republicans that have already wiped out much of the life supports that made a dignified Black existence barely possible, and with more fiscal massacres to come, Obama characterizes his current posture as “Winning the Future.” That future holds nothing but further pain and decline for Black America. His budgetary formula includes only $1 in closed corporate loopholes and higher taxes on the rich, for every $3 he slices from federal spending, most of it from education, health and other social programs. Then, like a cat scratching in kitty-litter, Obama tries to hide his actual deeds with a wonderfully crafted but totally fabulist speech: “We will all need to make sacrifices,” he said, without quantifying what was being sacrificed by whom. “But we do not have to sacrifice the America we believe in.”

Obama has already explained, to anyone that was actually listening, what kind of America he believes in. It is one in which people are tossed about to sink or swim with the tides.

Dr.Nǚwáng said..."The Zimmerman 'rescue" was a COMPLETE set up just like that faux trial.This won't change public opinion about this murderer, so next time they should set the truck on fire for more dramatic effect."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~LOL! Agreed! :) I'm positive O'Mara set it up! and that's just the beginning...

Blogger field negro said...Tavis is a fraud . I am reminded of an old Jamaican saying when I think about Wal Mart Tavis.and Obama: " Teef nu love fi si teef wid long bag."

4:53 PM===========I'm not sure what your Jamaican saying means in English but one thing I DO know: Tavis is no fraud. BUT YOU and Obama ARE both frauds. 'teef nu love fi si teef wid long bag' (whatever that means). LOL

Oh my God!!! Did someone leave the back door open at the big house. The house negroes are out in droves.Tavis, Cornell, Charles Barkley, Larry Elder, Jessie Lee Peterson, Bastard...I mean Pastor Manning. All these poor excuses for men. It's ridiculous. I'm no big fan of Al Sharpton but I can give him some credit for standing up for something.

BIB, Field can never get rid of the STEPHEN WITHIN. It's part of his character. Only GOD can remove that well-woven flaw in his personality. However, that won't happen because Field doesn't believe in GOD. STEPHEN is caught in web he can't escape from.

To all of you ignorant MO FO's that think Obama can cure 400 years of ills that have plagued the Black man, you need your heads examined. And for those of you who do have jobs, do you bad mouth your "white" bosses as badly as you bad mouth your "Black man" president? What the hell have you done for yourself lately? Also, to those of you that keep criticizing Obama's address to the nation about the Zimmerman trial, how come nobody had a problem with Bill Clinton a few years back when he gave almost the identical speech? It's called "self hatred."

Well Field,I see the usual suspects of self-hating Negros has shown up. But of course they want to cover for their house boy Tavis!!.. OF course they never mention the Tavis book selling tour - of course underwritten by Wells Fargo. The same Bank that got caught selling black folk fraudulent loans!!.. Naw its Tavis saying who the Pres should come up with Policies and specific things for black folks!!

Now how has Tavis's books helped?? Well they helped Tavis!! Hey Pres, since you came into office do something about the 20yr high drop out rate for young black boys!! And of course when the low wage industrial jobs leave america, its Pres Obama that has to find those brothas a job!!.. Not the books that Tavis has been selling for years.

Yup, we are lucky to have Tavis around to remind us all of that Pres Obama should do, while he puts no solutions in books!!.. Hey Tavis, what about the other politicians at the state and local level??? Naw, can't sell books and get on TV talking about them!!

Kudos to you all for speaking truth and having Tavis's back. When he and Dr. West came to Detroit to hear the resident's concerns, the POTUS's paid thugs refused to let neither the residents nor the speakers speak. That these raucous goons, clad in POTUS support gear, sought to be disruptive reinforced what I knew about this Reagan-loving POTUS from the outset.

Field, Grant and others are right. You're defending the indefensible and are attacking Tavis for speaking a pure, unassailable truth.

This POTUS, despite dressing up as FDR on both the covers of Time and the New Yorker Magazines (suggesting to many a 2nd New Deal was in the offing), FAILED to tie (read: leverage) his infrastructure jobs plan FROM THE VERY OUTSET OF HIS FIRST TERM with the BAILOUT and TARP, which, in this author's opinion, DOOMED his presidency.

Field, how do you continue to support a POTUS who enabled not only the War Criminal Bush/Cheney regime, but who recently came out and praised the former Drug Dealer-in-Chief, vis-a-vis Iran Contra-CIA-60s-drug-running, Bush Sr., in saying America is "kinder and gentler" because of him.

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Older, familiar leaders such as Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton and NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, are under challenge by a younger generation of bloggers known by such provocative screen names as Field Negro, thefreeslaveand African American Political Pundit. And many of the newest struggles are being waged online."~Howard Witt-The Chicago Tribune~

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